Roll changer for an apparatus for producing hygienic products

Abstract

A roll changer for splicing starting piece and end pieces of material webs to each other in an apparatus for producing hygienic products, includes carriers for web rolls, holding and guiding elements, severing elements and embossing rolls. The starting piece of a new material web can be fixed to an embossing roll. At least one embossing roll can be driven and at least one embossing roll can be moved selectively toward and away from the other embossing roll.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A roll changer for splicing starting pieces ( 2 ) and end pieces ( 4 ) of material webs ( 3 ,  5 ) to each other in an apparatus ( 6 ) for producing hygienic products, comprising carriers ( 7 ,  8 ) for web rolls ( 9 ,  10 ), holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ), severing elements ( 45 ) and embossing rolls ( 11 ,  12 ), wherein the starting piece ( 2 ) of a new material web ( 3 ) can be fixed to an embossing roll ( 11  or  12 ), wherein at least one embossing roll ( 12 ) can be driven and at least one embossing roll ( 11 ) can be moved toward the other embossing roll ( 12 ) and away from it, and wherein the holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ) each have a guide face ( 39 ) and can be moved into a position in which the guide face ( 39 ) lies in a plane that is tangential to the two embossing rolls ( 11 ,  12 ). 
     
     
       2. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein two of the holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ), which are mounted such that they can move, are arranged upstream of the embossing rolls ( 11 ,  12 ) in the running direction of the material webs ( 3 ,  5 ). 
     
     
       3. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the two holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ) are arranged symmetrically with regard to the two embossing rolls ( 11 ,  12 ). 
     
     
       4. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the two holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ) can be pivoted about axes ( 32 ,  33 ). 
     
     
       5. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each embossing roll ( 11 ,  12 ) has a holding element ( 16 ) for the starting piece ( 2 ) of a material web ( 3 ). 
     
     
       6. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the holding element ( 16 ) provided is at least one suction strip or a row of suction openings ( 16 ′) and can be connected to a vacuum line ( 22 ). 
     
     
       7. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ) has a device ( 46 ) for holding the material web ( 3 ,  5 ) during a severing cut. 
     
     
       8. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each holding and guiding element ( 30 ,  31 ) has at least one deflection element ( 36 ,  37 ) on its circumference. 
     
     
       9. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein each holding and guiding element ( 30 ,  31 ) has two deflection elements ( 26 ,  27  and  36 ,  37 ) which, together with a pivot axis ( 32 ,  33 ) of the holding and guiding element ( 30 ,  31 ), form a triangle. 
     
     
       10. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a respective severing element ( 45 ) is arranged between the two deflection elements ( 26 ,  27  and  36 ,  37 ) of each holding and guiding element. 
     
     
       11. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the deflection element ( 36 ,  37 ) is a deflection roller. 
     
     
       12. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ) can be moved toward each other and away from each other relative to a plane defined by a nip ( 40 ) between the embossing rolls. 
     
     
       13. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each one of the holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ), when in operation, leads the material web ( 3 ,  5 ) through an embossing roll gap ( 40 ) between the embossing rolls without contact. 
     
     
       14. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein a deflection element ( 42 ) is assigned to both embossing rolls ( 11 ,  12 ), and the holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ) can be moved and fixed, both in such a way that an unwinding material web ( 5 ) touches neither of the two embossing rolls ( 11 ,  12 ). 
     
     
       15. The roll changer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the guide face ( 39 ) of a respective one of the holding and guiding elements ( 30 ,  31 ) is located in a horizontal position when the new material web ( 3 ,  5 ) is being fixed to a respective one of the embossing rolls ( 11 ,  12 ).